3.2" Orpiment With Barite & Realgar - Peru

Orpiment With Barite & Realgar - Peru #60788

This is a beautiful specimen of clear barite on bright orange, botryoidal orpiment from Peru. The rectangular barite crystals are well defined and nearly all are damage free. The orpiment has a rich orange coloration and there are remnants of a realgar crystal on what could be considered the topo of the specimen. It measures 3.2" long and is a excellent collector specimen from a location not producing any new material.

Orpiment is a bright orange to yellow arsenic sulfide mineral. Its name is derived from the latin phrase auripigmentum, meaning “gold pigment”. It is frequently found as a decay byproduct and in association with another arsenic mineral, realgar. Orpiment crystals are commonly found in dense groupings containing small, prismatic crystals, often with chisel-shaped or triangular pyramidal terminations.

Orpiment contains a significant amount of the poisonous mineral arsenic. While it’s not going to pose a health hazard sitting on a shelf, it’s recommended that you wash your hands after handling it.

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